Combined extension-ladder and fire-escape



{No Maan.) .2 sheetss116899 l R. S.Y0UNG.

COMBINED EXTENSIONEADD-ER AND EIRE ESCAPE l No. 568,999.' Y Patented oen. 6, 1996.4

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RALPH S. YOUNG, OF KEARNEY, NEV JERSEY.

COMBINED EXTENSION-LADD-ER AND FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LetterslPatent N o. 568,999, dated October 6, 1896.

. Application filed May 28, 1896. Serial No. 593,391. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, RALPH S. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kearney, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Extension-Ladder and Fire-Escape, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a-part of the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of extension-ladders wherein the several sections are iitted together so as to slide longitudinally upon 011e another and are retained in their extended position by means of suitable detents interposed between the adjacent sections; and its object is, primarily, to provide a suitable bridge from the top of such ladder to the building to which access is required, so as to permit of the erection of the ladder at a distance from the wall of the building and enable it to avoid obstructions adjacentv thereto.

The invention consists in the features of construction hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claims annexed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a front elevation of a truck provided with my improved extension ladder; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same with the bridgesection shown in dotted lines in its transverse relation to the adjacent section, and Fig. 3 a sectional plan of the same on line in Fig. l. Fig. et is a sectional elevation, upon a larger scale, of the bridge-section and upper end of the adjacent section with the nearer side bars removed and the rungs and platform in section adjacent thereto Fig. 5, a plan of the same with the upright section omitted, and Fig. 6 a transverse sectional view .of the bridge-section. Fig. 7 is aview, upon a still larger scale, of the adjacent ends of two sections of the line zu, with a life-belt attached.

The ladder is shown herein constructed in three sections composed, as usual, of side bars A B C, joined together by the rungs A' B C', respectively, the lower section A being supported upon the platform P of a suitable truck and sustained in its upright position by means of suitable braces D. The side bars B of the intermediate section are fitted within those of the lower section and confined in parallel relation thereto by the rungs A' on one side and overhanging hooks A2 upon the lower section; and the upper or bridge section is similarly confined between the side bars B of the intermediate section, when in its normal lowered position,1 by means of the hooks B2, intermediate to the ends of the bars B, and the oifset cross-bar B3, joining their extreme upper ends.

A reel R with a. crank R for turning the same is provided at the base of the lower section of the ladder, from which is led the hoisting-line 1' over a pulley s upon one of the upper rounds A and under a pulley s at the lower end of the intermediate section to ya yoke-piece t, from which are led the two side lines r over pulleys s2 at the top of the intermediate section to the lower rung O of the bridge-section.V

The several sections each resting normally upon the platform P, the actuation of the reel R and lines r and o", connected therewith, operates to draw the intermediate and bridge sections upward to a suitable height, where they are retained by spring-detents, as q in Figs. 4 and 5, and the slackening of the hoisting-lines then perlnits the upper bridge-seotion to swing upon its sustaining-rung B into the transverse position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, where its motion is arrested by the engagement of the hooks C2 thereon, with a cross-bar B4 fixed to the bars B, the

upper rungs B being omitted from the intermediate section to permit such movement of the bridge-section.

One form of spring-pawl suitable for retaining the several sections in their elevated position is shown at' the right in Fig. 4, wherein it is embodied in the lever q, forked at one end to lit the rung B', and pivoted at the opposite end to the side bar C and carrying a lateral leaf-spring q', engaging a pin q2 upon the bar C. A suitable stop is provided in practice for limiting the throw of this lever or pawl. It is obvious, however, that other forms of detent may be employed for the above purpose. It will be observed that the hooks C2 not only serve to check the swinging movement of the bridge-section, but to retain the detent q firmly seated upon the rung B' of the intermediate section, so as to IOO lock such section securely from displacement l during its operation.

The bridge-section is provided with rods c, pivoted upon the inner side of each of the bars C and retained normally parallel therewith by means of springs a', and a life-line a2, having one end attached to the staple a3 at the extremerouter end of the bar C, is led through the head of each of such pivoted rods and through suitable guides at at the opposite end of said bar and through a staple b2 below the same upon the bar B to the eye b in the depending counterbalance-rod b, passing through a suitable lguide 'b3 below upon the bar B. Each of such life-lines at opposite sides of the bridge-section is provided at suitable intervals in the port-ion adjacent to theout'e'r end with collars or protub'eran ces a5 'or. engagement with the heads ofthe rods a. 7h-en the bridge-section is in its normal relation tothe intermediate 'sec-p tion and the ladder is Closed, the eounterbalance-rods h gravitate downward and take up t'heslaclof the line a2, the springs a drawing t'he line 'sufficiently to permit the rods d to lie dat upon the rung's C; but the lateral projection of 'the bridge-section causes the tension "of the lines a? to draw 'the eyes b of the rods b into engagement with the staples Wand 'to ithen'overcome the tension of the springs a" 'in raising the rods a. In such position of the rods d and b the line CL2 is stretched to its fullest extent and serves to brace the bridgesectio'n las thus extended. The section C C is further strengthened by means of lines c, connected at the ends to staples c upon each of the bars C and made taut by the depression of the lower end of the extension a of the central supporting-rod a for the life-'line d2, the lines c and extensions a together forming trusses upon the under sides of the4 bars C in such position of the extensions c,

It is obvious that the ladder may be constructed with 'as vmanysect'ions as required to attain 'the desired extent of eleva-tion for the 'bridgefsectiom and thatsuch section may be raised through any portion of such height andthe 'lower sections retained in the corresponding positions by means 'of their springdetents, the bridgesection being extended laterally and made to rest tupon the roof of the building to be entered or upon the sill W ofcneof its windows, as indicated in 'dotted line'sin vat. In order to provide stability for the"structure in such position, the outer ends of the bars Care provided upon their lower "sides with downwardly project-ing hooksrl, fixedl rigidly thereto, and a sliding frame f, with depending 'hooks e, opposed to the hooks this applied to the lower side of the section beneath the rungs Cand sustained bythevcro's's-bars f', a cord g being'attached atone'e'nd to onefof 'the cross-pieces of lthe frame f and led *over a pulley t upon one of the rungs'jC in ,advance of the same, 4overa cross-bar h upon the yintermediate section,

down to a reelj, with actuating-cranky' at the base of the ladder. It will be obvious that by operating the reelj when the end of the bridge is projected through the window, as indicated, the bridge may be clamped firmly upon the window-frame, so as to not only prevent the withdrawal of the bridge-section, but

as indicated in Figs. l and 6, the rungs upon;

opposite sides of such folded platformgbeing obviously adapt-ed for use in the ordinary manner at such time. Y

Tov provide a safe means of transferring those rescued from high buildings to the ground without the necessity of climbing. down the ladder after traversing the bridge,

the bar B3v is formed with outwardly-.projecting ends terminating in eyes B5, from one or both of which depends 4a pulley-blockiof, carrying a sectional line o, passing over a drum w, with operating-crank w', Ymounted. loosely upon the spindle ofthe reel'j. Each of the several sections 'of the line o is provided at one end with a snap-hook o3 andvat-the opposite end withal-ingo2 for connecting thesame with the yadjacent sections, and persons supplied with suitable life-belts 0, 7,*having suitable hooks as they emerge from the building may be secured to the rings o2`afnd lowered to theground bymea'ns of the linea. Byforming such line in sections'readilyfdetachable from one 'another its vlervgthmay be lregulated ,to correspond with the `gheight fat which the bridge iselev'atedand t-he'supe'iuous sections removed. It is obvious that a person inay be attached to the line lo atthe junction Vof each of two sectionsfan-dthat the line may be operated continuously, so sas'to lower several persons at once and to simultaneously raise firemen to the bridge. Y K

Vhile the improvementlas above described is designed specially for use asa fire-escape. ladder, it is 'evidently 'adapted for vcertaink commercial purposes, as for house-painting. and other uses where it is desired to sp'ana,

system of telegraph-wires or other obstructions close to the building to be operated upon.

It will be obvious that Vthe :precise details of construction describedfabove v4are -n'otcssential to the present invention, the characteristic feature of which is the singlelineasnd means for actuating the same whereby itx'nay first 'be operated to extend the several-sections the desired degree and 4to then cause'the upper or bridge section to assume its transverse'position. V-hile `I have s'hownonlya single intermediate section -B -B',it is'obvious that the lnumber of such sections 'employed willdepend upon the Vdegree of extension vof the ladder desired.

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Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The extension-ladder comprising a lower section having a guide-pulley near the upper end and a reel at its foot, one or more intermediate sliding sections of which the lower is adapted to slide upon the first-named section and provided each with guide-pulleys near the opposite ends, an upper or bridge section fitted to slide upon the adjacent intermediate section, automatically-operating detents for retaining said sliding sections in their extended positions, guides for always retaining said intermediate section or sections in parallel relation with the lower section and guides for retaining said upper orbridge section parallel with the adjacent section until fully extended upon the same, and a line attached at one end to the lower end of the bridge-section, passing over the guide-pulleys as described and running to the reel at the foot of the lower section, whereby the rotation of the reel in one direction to draw in the line operates to extend the ladder and the turning of the reel in the opposite direction for slackening said line causes the upper or bridge section to swing transversely upon its detents, as and for the 'purpose set forth.

2. The extension -ladder comprising the lower section A A' with guides A and provided with reel R and grooved pulley s, the intermediate section B B' with guides B2 and grooved pulleys s' and s2 and with cross-bar B4, the upper or bridge section C C' with laterally and upwardly projecting hooks C2 adapted to engage the cross-bar B4, the line rr' passing around the pulleys s, s' and s2 and connecting the lowerend of the bridge-section with the reel R, and detents interposed between the adjacent sections for retaining the same in their elevated positions, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The extension -ladder comprising the lower section A A' with guides A2, the in termediate section B B' with guides B2 and crossbar B3 with depending pulley-block o' and the upper or bridge section C C', means for elevating the intermediate and bridge sections and retaining them in their elevated positions and for laterally extending said bridge-section, a hoisting-drum w at the base of the lower section, and an endless sectional line extended between said pulley-block and hoisting-drum, each section of said line having a ring o2 at one end and a hook o3 at the other end, whereby the length of said line may be varied by the removal or insertion of sections to adapt it to correspond with the degree of extension of the ladder, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an extension-ladder constructed with a sliding and swinging upper section and means for elevating and laterally extending the same, the combination, with said upper section, of a folding platform composed of longitudinally-hinged portions of which one is fixed to the rungs of said section, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In an extension-ladder comprising a lower section A A', an intermediate section B B', an upper or bridge section C C', and means for elevating the intermediate and bridge-sections and for laterally extending the said bridge-section, the combination, with the bridge-section, Vof rods a pivoted to the side bars O in the upper or outer portion thereof and springs for retaining said rods normally in parallel relation to the side bars, and lines a2 connected at one extremity to the outer ends of said side bars, attached to the free ends of said rods, passing thence through suitable guides to the opposite ends of said bars O and secured at the opposite ends to the intermediate section beneath said bridgesection, as and for the purpose set forth.

G. In an extension-ladder comprising a lower section A A', an intermediate section B B', an upper or bridge section C C', and means for elevating the intermediate and bridge sections and for laterally extending the latter, the combination, with the bridgesection, of rods a pivoted to the side bars C in the upper or outer portion thereof and springs for retaining said rods normally in parallel relation to the side bars, and lines a2 connected at one extremity to the outer ends of said side bars, attached to the free ends of said pivoted rods, passing thence through suitable guides to the opposite ends of said bars C and through a combined guide and stop b2 upon the intermediate section beneath the bridge-section and attached at the other IOO extremity to a depending counterbalance-rod b, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In an extension -ladder comprising a lower section A A', an intermediate section B B', an upper or bridge section C C', and means for elevating the intermediate and bridge sections and for laterally extending the latter, the combination, with the bridgesection, of the lines c having their extremities attached. to opposite ends of the side bars of the section C C' upon the underside, the rods ct having extensions d6 pivoted to said bars intermediate the extremities of the lines c, and means for automatically turning said pivoted rods into parallel and transverse relation to said bars C for varying the tension of the lines c, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. Y

RALPH S. YOUNG. W'itnesses:

HENRY J. MILLER, JOHN J. FARLEY.

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